Heel with interchangeable heel-lift



J ly 2 1964 P. PERISSE HEEL wzm INTERCHANGEABLE HEEL-LIFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1960 July 21, 1964 P. PERISSE HEEL wrrn INTERCHANGEABLE HEEL-LIFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25. 1960 I V Z FIG. 6

July 21, 1964 P. PERISSE HEEL. WITH INTERCHANGEABLE HEEL-LIFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 55 Filed Sept. 23, 1960 July 21, 1964 P. PERISSE 3,141,249

HEEL. wrm INTERCHANGEABLE HEEL-LIFT Filed Sept. 23, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,141,249 HEEL WITH INTERCHANGEABLE HEELLIFT Pierre Perisse, Rieumes, France Filed Sept. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 58,101 Claims priority, application France June 2, 1960 6 Claims. (Cl. 36-42) This invention relates to heel structures with interchangeable heel lifts.

The main advantages generally attributed to interchangeable lifts, the use of which is becoming more and more widely extended, reside in the possibilities which they offer to the user of carrying out the substitution of a new heel lift for a worn heel at any time and in any place.

This possibility is often to some extent theoretical, since the ease of extraction of the worn heel liftan essential condition for easy replacement--is not readily compatible with a satisfactory fixation of the lift on the extremity of the heel.

For this reason, the replacement of interchangeable heel lifts of known type necessitates in fact the use of some kind of tool, such as a screwdriver, a punch, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide, as an improved industrial product, a heel with an interchangeable lift in which the extraction and the replacement of the lift are carried out very easily without operations requiring any particular skill on the part of the operator, while the use by the latter of any object other than the new replacement lift itself is not required.

A lift according to the invention is essentially characterized in that it comprises, at that extremity which forms the end subjected to wear, a threaded or unthreaded hole, and at the other extremity-which is intended to be placed in the bottom of the housing formed inside the heel to receive the lifta moulded or added member which forms the extraction tool; such a member forming part of the replacement lift is introduced into the hole formed in the worn lift and serves to extract this latter from the housing in which it is inserted and held by the inherent elasticity of the walls of the heel.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the housing formed in the heel is restricted by a central tube of metal or other material, provided at its center with an orifice and covered externally with a semi-rigid sheath which is provided opposite the said orifice with a locking nipple having a certain elasticity which, when the heel lift is introduced into the said tube, cooperates through the said window with a recess formed at a suitable height in the body of the lift and this insures perfect fixing of the lift.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the description which follows below of one embodiment of the invention, given by way of example and not in any limitative sense, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a heel lift according to the invention seen in side elevation.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken along line 1III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in cross-section showing the heel lift according to the invention placed in position in a heel of the so-called stiletto type.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the heel shown in FIG. 3, the heel lift exhibiting a certain degree of wear.

FIG. 5 is a view in cross-section of the lower portion of a heel equipped with a heel lift according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view from above of the heel lift shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view in cross-section of a construction of 3,141,249 Patented July 21, 1964 a heel lift according to a further modification of the invention, this lift comprising a fixing and locking device in the interior of the heel.

FIG. 8 is a view in cross-section along line ab of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view in cross-section of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the lift being introduced half-way into the interior of the heel.

The heel lift shown in FIG. 1, which is preferably made from moulded plastic material, comprises: a cylindrical body 1 and a base 2 forming the end subjected to wear, which base is provided with a straight front side, its rear being rounded in the shape of a heel.

At its upper portion, the body 1 supports a screw 3 which is moulded into the body. Along the axis of the heel lift and extending through the inner face of the end 2, is formed a hol 4. Hole 4 is formed with a female thread corresponding to the thread of the screw 3, so that a replacement heel lift identical to that shown in FIG. 1 would have a screw thereon which can be threadably engaged in hole 4.

The heel lift is placed in position in a manner which is known per se (FIG. 3), by th introduction of the body 1 and the screw 3 into the housing or recess 6 formed for the purpose of accommodating the body 1 and the screw 3. Thus, the lift is merely inserted, screw 3 first, into the recess 6, and the lift is held in the heel by friction between body 1 and the heel 5. The screw 3, in the manner shown, is not engaged with the heel, but is simply accommodated within the bottom of the housing 6 without engaging the heel. The walls of the heel which limit the recess 6 are sufliciently elastic to insure perfect and satisfactory frictional support of the heel lift in the heel. The walls of the heel may be plastic, wood, metal or any other suitably elastic material.

When the end 2 has reached a degree of wear which justifies its replacement (FIG. 4), it is only necessary to thread the screw 3 (FIG. 1) of the new heel lift shown in phantom into the threaded hole 4 of the worn lift and to apply a slight pull on the whole unit to extract the same. The screw on the end of the new lift therefore serves as an extraction device for the worn lift.

The new heel lift is, after extraction of the worn lift, detached from the worn lift which it has served to extract and is then placed in position to replace the worn lift.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the invention, which is more particularly intended for heels which are covered with a cover such as plastic. This cover 7 is turned over at the base of the heel and is gripped and possibly cemented at extremity 7a between the base and the end 2 of the heel lift.

In order to prevent this extremity 7a from being crushed and sheared-off by the pressure applied to it during walking, a suitable number of shoulders-1a and lb in the example shown in the drawings-are provided on the body 1 of the heel lift. Corresponding and matable shoulders are provided in the heel 5. The bearing area provided by th shoulders la, 1]), causes the force applied to the lift to be distributed between the shoulders and the extremity 70, thereby reducing the pressure on extremity 7a. Thus, a force applied axially to the lift is distributed between shoulders 1a, 1b, and extremity 7a, thereby reducing the pressure on the latter when compared to a construction wherein the shoulders are absent. The end 2 and the extremity 7a of the cover are only required to support, by virtue of this particular arrangement, a small proportion of the pressure which is thus distributed between these various shoulders. In addition, for the same purpose, the shoulder which forms the end 2 can advantageously be given the form of a funnel such as shown in FIG. 5.

In order to prevent the body 1 of the heel lift from rotating about its own axis, this body, instead of being cylindrical, may have a polygonal form or, as shown in FIGS. and 6, it may alternatively be given the same form as the end 2 which it surmounts.

It will finally be noted that, in the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the screw 3 is fixed on the heel lift and is not moulded into it as in the form of embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. i It is quite obvious that the scope of the present invention would include any form which employsin the place of a screw intended to be screwed into a threaded hole any type of accessory such as a punch, hook corkscrew, or the like, adapted to insure the extraction of a worn heel lift with or without cooperation with a threaded or unthreaded hole.

tachable lift structure adapted for serving as a lift structure extraction tool: said lift structure comprising a body portion adapted for being engaged in said recess of the heel, a screw on said body portion adapted for being accommodated within said recess with said body portion engaged in said recess, and a lift on said body portion for constituting a lift for said heel when the body portion of the lift structure is engaged in said recess, said lift and body portion defining a threaded opening which is accessible through said lift and which is adapted for being threadably engaged by the screw of an identical lift structure whereby a lift structure which is engaged in said heel can be extracted from said heel, said threaded open- FIGS, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate an embodiment of the heel lift according to the invention, in which a device is provided for fixing and locking the lift in the interior of the heel.

' The heel lift is placed in position (FIG. 7) by introduction of the body 1, provided with a recess 8, and the screw 3, into a metal tube 9 supported in the hollow portion 6 of the heel. The tube 9 is formed with an opening 10 which is aligned with the recess 8 when the body is inserted in the tube. The opening 10 permits the passage therethrough of a locking protrusion 11 which is ing and screw having corresponding dimensions.

2. A detachable lift structure for the use as claimed in claim 1 wherein said opening and screw lie along a comheel and adapted for serving as a lift structure extraction provided'on the heel 12 which is of elastic material. The

protrusion is intended to fit into the recess 8 formed in the heel lift 1. As in the embodiments previously described, the screw 3 is accommodated without being engaged in the housing 6, and th end 2 provided with a hole 4 is provided with a threaded portion 13 corresponding to the thread of the screw 3.

In FIG. 9 the heel lift 1 is shown half extracted from the housing 6 in the heel. The heel lift 1 is extracted from the housing 6 by exerting an axial force on the lift in a direction away from the housing 6. When the axial force is exerted on the lift, a transverse force is developed against the protrusion 11 by virtue of the curved shape of the protrusion and the accommodating recess, whereby the protrusion is forced out of the recess 8 and the opening 10 as the lift is withdrawn. In FIG. 9 there can be seen the locking protrusion 11 of semi-rigid material which has been withdrawn from the recess 8 in the heel lift 1; due to the elasticity of the parts employed, and especially of the protrusion 11, this permits ready extraction of the worn heel lift and its replacement by a new heel lift. Conventional plastic materials will be sufficiently elastic to enable the desired result to be achieved.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples described and shown, as alternative forms may be developed without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a heel having a recess therein; a detoo]: said lift structure including a body portion engaged in said recess of the heel, a screw on said body portion accommodated within said recess, a lift on said body portion constituting a lift for said heel, said lift and body portion defining a threaded opening which is accessible through said lift, said threaded opening and screw having corresponding dimensions to enable the screw of an identical lift structure to be threadably engaged in the opening of the lift structure which is supported in the heel for extracting the lift structure from the heel.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said heel and body portion include corresponding shoulders which abut one another.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said screw is accommodated with clearance in said recess with said body portion engaged in said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,062 Rosenberg Oct. 24, 1944 2,546,105 McCarron et a1. Mar. 20, 1951 2,807,100 Windle Sept. 24, 1957 2,935,800 Ronci May 10, 1960 2,937,461 Trela May 24, 1960 2,940,186 Boldt June 14, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 612,684 France Aug. 4, 1926 1,146,380 France May 20, 1957 1,230,757 France Apr. 4, 1960 593,191 Italy May 14, 1959 

1. FOR USE WITH A HEEL HAVING A RECESS THEREIN; A DETACHABLE LIFT STRUCTURE ADAPTED FOR SERVING AS A LIFT STRUCTURE EXTRACTION TOOL: SAID LIFT STRUCTURE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION ADAPTED FOR BEING ENGAGED IN SAID RECESS OF THE HEEL, A SCREW ON SAID BODY PORTION ADAPTED FOR BEING ACCOMMODATED WITHIN SAID RECESS WITH SAID BODY PORTION ENGAGED IN SAID RECESS, AND A LIFT ON SAID BODY PORTION FOR CONSTITUTING A LIFT FOR SAID HEEL WHEN THE BODY PORTION OF THE LIFT STRUCTURE IS ENGAGED IN SAID RECESS, SAID LIFT AND BODY PORTION DEFINING A THREADED OPENING WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE THROUGH SAID LIFT AND WHICH IS ADAPTED FOR BEING THREADABLY ENGAGED BY THE SCREW OF AN INDENTICAL LIFT STRUCTURE WHEREBY A LIFT STRUCTURE WHICH IS ENGAGED IN SAID HEEL CAN BE EXTRACTED FROM SAID HEEL, SAID THREADED OPENING AND SCREW HAVING CORRESPONDING DIMENSIONS. 